New Perspectives on the Old Uses of Traditional Medicinal and Edible Herbs: Extract and Spent Material of (L.) Delarbre.

(L.) Delarbre, commonly known as water pepper, possesses multifunctional potential. Our research focuses on its complex phenolic composition, bioactivity, safety evaluation and utilization in a sustainable manner.

Could alder buckthorn (Frangula alnus Mill) be a source of chemotherapeutics effective against hepato- and colorectal carcinoma? An in vitro study.

Among numerous types of cancer, hepatocellular and colorectal carcinoma are important causes of mortality. Given the nature of these cancer types and their resistance, it is of great importance to find new chemotherapeutics and therapy targets, so plant products seem to be an excellent choice in such search. The main goal of this study was to investigate anticancer activity of Frangula alnus ethyl-acetate extract (FA) and its dominant constituent emodin (E) on hepatocellular and colorectal carcinoma cell lines, HepG2 and HCT116, as well as on normal MRC-5 fibroblasts.

Synthesis and characterization of innovative resveratrol nanobelt-like particles and assessment of their bioactivity, antioxidative and antibacterial properties.

Recently, many studies have shown various beneficial effects of polyphenol resveratrol (Res) on human health. The most important of these effects include cardioprotective, neuroprotective, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, osteoinductive, and anti-microbial effects. Resveratrol has cis and trans isoforms, with the trans isoform being more stable and biologically active.

Cinnamon essential oil and its emulsion as efficient antibiofilm agents to combat .

is an emerging nosocomial pathogen resistant to a wide spectrum of antibiotics, with great potential to form a biofilm, which further aggravates treatment of infections caused by it. Therefore, searching for new potent agents that are efficient against seems to be a necessity. One of them, which has already been proven to possess a wide spectrum of biological activities, including antimicrobial effect, is cinnamon essential oil.

Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing: A Comprehensive Review of Currently Used Methods.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has emerged as a major threat to public health globally. Accurate and rapid detection of resistance to antimicrobial drugs, and subsequent appropriate antimicrobial treatment, combined with antimicrobial stewardship, are essential for controlling the emergence and spread of AMR. This article reviews common antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) methods and relevant issues concerning the advantages and disadvantages of each method.

The role of Gentiana lutea extracts in reducing UV-induced DNA damage.

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation can result in DNA damage, mainly through direct formation of pyrimidine dimers and generation of reactive oxygen species, which can lead to the skin disorders including cancer. In accordance with this, the use of natural antigenotoxins and/or antioxidants could contribute to human health protection. Considering that plants are rich in both, the aim of this study was to investigate UV-protective and antioxidative properties of yellow gentian (Gentiana lutea), being well established in pharmacopeias and traditional medicine.

Elucidating the antibiofilm activity of Frangula emodin against Staphylococcus aureus biofilms.

Aims: Because the Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most well-known pathogens associated with medical devices and nosocomial infections, the aim of the study was to examine antibiofilm potential of emodin against it.

Methods And Results: Antibacterial activity was examined through microdilution assay. Antibiofilm testing included crystal violet staining of biofilm biomass and morphology analysis by Atomic force microscopy (AFM).

Functionality and Palatability of Yogurt Produced Using Beetroot Pomace Flour Granulated with Lactic Acid Bacteria.

Following the idea of sustainability in food production, a yogurt premix based on beetroot () pomace flour (BPF) was developed. BPF was granulated with lactose solution containing lactic acid bacteria (LAB) by a fluidized bed. Particle size increased ~30%.

Effects of C60 Fullerene on Thioacetamide-Induced Rat Liver Toxicity and Gut Microbiome Changes.

Thioacetamide (TAA) is widely used to study liver toxicity accompanied by oxidative stress, inflammation, cell necrosis, fibrosis, cholestasis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. As an efficient free radical's scavenger, C60 fullerene is considered a potential liver-protective agent in chemically-induced liver injury. In the present work, we examined the hepatoprotective effects of two C60 doses dissolved in virgin olive oil against TAA-induced hepatotoxicity in rats.

In Vitro Study of Two Edible Polygonoideae Plants: Phenolic Profile, Cytotoxicity, and Modulation of Keap1-Nrf2 Gene Expression.

and (subfam. Polygonoideae) are used in traditional cuisines and folk medicine in various cultures. Previous studies indicated that phytochemicals obtained from Polygonoideae plants could sensitize chemoresistant cancer cells and enhance the efficacy of some cytostatics.

New insight into the antigenotoxic activity of Gentiana lutea extracts - Protective effect against food borne mutagens.

Food mutagens formed from amino acids during heating of meat have the potential to induce serious consequences on human health. As a result, the identification of naturally occurring, genoprotective agents, is of great importance. The aim of this study was to chemically characterize a root and leaf extracts of Gentiana lutea and to investigate the antigenotoxic effects of extracts and pure constituents (gentiopicroside and mangiferin).

Bioactivity and Sensory Properties of Probiotic Yogurt Fortified with Apple Pomace Flour.

To meet the demand for new functional foods in line with the trend of sustainable development, a novel probiotic yogurt fortified with 1%, 3%, and 5% apple pomace flour (APF) added immediately after inoculation with and was developed. Upon fermentation in the presence of APF, a number of probiotic strains remained within the required range, while the syneresis of enriched yogurts was reduced up to 1.8 times in comparison to the control.

Anti-Virulence Potential and In Vivo Toxicity of and Extracts.

Many traditional remedies represent potential candidates for integration with modern medical practice, but credible data on their activities are often scarce. For the first time, the anti-virulence potential and the safety for human use of the ethanol extracts of two medicinal plants, (PEM) and (BIO), have been addressed. Ethanol extracts of both plants exhibited anti-virulence activity against the medically important opportunistic pathogen .

Effects of fullerene C supplementation on gut microbiota and glucose and lipid homeostasis in rats.

The effects of twelve weeks of supplementation with fullerene C olive/coconut oil solution on a broad spectrum of parameters in rats were examined. The tissue bioaccumulation of C was shown to be tissue-specific, with the liver, heart, and adrenal glands being the organs of the greatest, and the kidney, brain, and spleen being the organs of the smallest accumulation. C did not change aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase serum activities level, nor the damage of liver cells DNA.

Wild edible onions - Allium flavum and Allium carinatum - successfully prevent adverse effects of chemotherapeutic drug doxorubicin.

The objective of this study was to evaluate potential of two chemically characterized edible wild onion species, Allium flavum and Allium carinatum, to reduce side effects of cytostatic doxorubicin (Dox). Since Dox application is mainly limited due to its high cardiotoxicity, while there are no approved cardioprotective agents for the prevention of Dox adverse effects, new co-treatments are urgently needed. Here, we showed that methanol extracts expressed high antioxidant activity and synergistically increased Dox anticancer activity against human hepatoma (HepG2) and lung carcinoma (A549) cells, while protected normal human fibroblasts (MRC-5) from Dox cytotoxicity.

Beneficial Effect of Virgin Coconut Oil on Alloxan-Induced Diabetes and Microbiota Composition in Rats.

The gut microbiota is composed of a diverse population of obligate and facultative anaerobic microorganisms which are shown to influence host metabolism and immune homeostasis. This study investigated the effects of virgin coconut oil on the weekly fasting glycaemia, daily food and water intake and weekly body mass gain over 16 weeks, as well as the changes in composition of gut microbiota in both non-diabetic and alloxan-induced diabetic rats. Although the intake of virgin coconut oil did not decrease the diabetes-induced hyperglycemia, it affected the secondary parameters, such as food and water intake and average body mass gain.

Chemical characterization, antioxidant, genotoxic and in vitro cytotoxic activity assessment of Juniperus communis var. saxatilis.

Chemical composition and antioxidative, genotoxic and cytotoxic potential of essential oil (EO) and post-distillation waste (PDW) of Serbian Juniperus communis L. var. saxatilis Pall.

Cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of a low-shrinkage monomer and monoacylphosphine oxide photoinitiator: Comparative analyses of individual toxicity and combination effects in mixtures.

Objective: To compare cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of novel urethane-based monomer FIT-852 and monoacylphosphine oxide photoinitiator (Lucirin TPO) with conventional Bisphenol A-glycidyl-methacrylate (BisGMA) and triethylene glycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA) monomers and camphorquinone (CQ)/amine photoinitiator system, respectively. Moreover, we quantified and analyzed the combinatorial effects of individual substances in resin-based mixtures concerning the nature of the combinatorial effects.

Methods: Cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of BisGMA, FIT, TEGDMA, CQ, DMAEMA and TPO and their combined toxicity in four clinically relevant mixtures (FIT/TPO, FIT/CQ, BisGMA/TPO, BisGMA/CQ) were tested on human fetal lung fibroblasts MRC-5 using MTT and Comet assays.

The Protective Effects of Probiotic Bacteria on Cadmium Toxicity in Rats.

One of the useful properties of probiotic bacteria is their capacity to bind different targets, thus eliminating them through feces. It is supposed that one of these targets could be cadmium, a widespread environmental toxicant that causes various disturbances in biological systems. This study examined the protective effects of probiotic supplementation against cadmium-induced toxicity in the rat.

Effect of Allium flavum L. and Allium melanantherum Panč. Extracts on Oxidative DNA Damage and Antioxidative Enzymes Superoxide Dismutase and Catalase.

Allium flavum L. and Allium melanantherum Panč. are wild growing plants used in traditional diet in Balkan region.

Comparative study of genotoxic, antigenotoxic and cytotoxic activities of monoterpenes camphor, eucalyptol and thujone in bacteria and mammalian cells.

Genotoxic/antigenotoxic, mutagenic/antimutagenic and cytotoxic effects of monoterpenes camphor, eucalyptol and thujone were determined in bacteria and mammalian cells using alkaline comet assay, Escherichia coli K12 reversion test and MTT assay, respectively. When applied in low doses (up to 200 μM in bacterial assay and 50 μM in comet assay) monoterpenes protected repair proficient E. coli and Vero cells against UV-induced mutagenesis and 4NQO-induced DNA strand breaks, respectively.

Essential oil of Eucalyptus gunnii hook. As a novel source of antioxidant, antimutagenic and antibacterial agents.

The present study describes radical scavenging capacity (RSC), antimutagenic and antibacterial properties of the essential oil (EO) of the leaves of Eucalyptus gunnii Hook. (Southern Montenegro). Chemical composition was evaluated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).

Modulation of genotoxicity and DNA repair by plant monoterpenes camphor, eucalyptol and thujone in Escherichia coli and mammalian cells.

The aim of this work was to examine the antigenotoxic potential of plant monoterpenes: camphor, eucalyptol and thujone in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells and to elucidate their effect on DNA repair. We compared the effect of monoterpenes on spontaneous, UV- and 4NQO-induced mutagenesis in Escherichia coli K12 repair proficient, and MMR and NER deficient strains. Positive controls tannic acid and vanillin were included in bacterial tests.

Essential oil of Myrtus communis L. as a potential antioxidant and antimutagenic agents.

The present study describes DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging activity and antimutagenic properties of the essential oil of myrtle (Myrtus communis L.). Plant samples were collected from the two distant localities (southernmost and northern point) of the Montenegro coastline.